The Memory Bottleneck: When the Cheapest Component Became the Most Expensive Constraint
For decades, memory was the quiet enabler of technological progress.
It got cheaper every year.
Faster every year.
More abundant every year.
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The Philosophical Investor's Blog
The Memory Bottleneck
by 
Gary Carmell
Gary CarmellHerbert Simon at the Loan Desk
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
Why “Good Enough” Is Winning in the Age of Execution
I recently finished listening to Inside the Box, a book that explores how constraints—properly understood—don’t limit creativity, but instead give rise to it.
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To Fix or Float? That Is the Question
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
The Great Financing Question: From a Decade of Floating-Rate Success to a New Era of Uncertainty
One of the most important strategic decisions we make as multifamily owners is not simply what properties to buy, but how to finance them.
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Dancing with the Storm
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
I was watching the new Rafael Nadal documentary on Netflix when something his Uncle Toni said stopped me:
That line followed me onto the court.
Because despite all the matches I’ve played, despite knowing—intellectually—that it’s “just a match,” I still felt the familiar surge: the tightening chest,
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Move Well. Live Well.
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
At my gym, there’s a simple phrase on the wall:
“Live well. Move well.”
It’s elegant. Aspirational. Directional.
But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I find myself wanting to flip it:
“Move well.…
Available: Staying Glued Together Enough to Say “Hineni” — A Reflection Inspired by Jacob
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
I’ve been sitting with the word available lately—not in the calendar sense, but in the deeper, more revealing way we either show up to life… or don’t.
Available shares a root with avail—to make use of,
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The Super El Niño That Could Rewrite 2026
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
Meteorologists are currently staring at climate models with a sense of profound unease. Recent projections from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggest that Pacific sea surface temperatures are not just rising; they are threatening to move “off the charts”. Some models predict temperature increases exceeding 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) above average by the fall of 2026—a level of warming that would signify one of the most powerful El Niño events in recorded history.
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From Inversion to Aspiration: Choosing Vitality Over Comfort
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
Last week, my reflections were guided by Charlie Munger’s favorite mental model: inversion.
Rather than asking how to design a good life, the question was simpler and sterner: What does a bad life look like—and how might we avoid it?
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How I Won a Tennis Tournament by Doing Less, Not More
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
I recently won my first doubles tennis tournament in a few years. This was the most satisfying because we won four matches on three surfaces, with one of the battles being quite challenging, requiring a come-from-behind victory.
It took longer than I expected—and probably longer than I wanted—but in retrospect,
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A Date with Success
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
“Watch out, you might get what you’re after.”
The line floats through Burning Down the House almost as a warning—half playful, half ominous. I’ve heard it countless times, usually sung along to without much thought. But lately, it’s been echoing differently.
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